Apparatus for mounting a transducer to the transom of a boat

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to apparatus for elevational control of a sonic transducer from the transom of a vessel. The configuration comprises means for mounting a sonic transducer upon a transom of a vessel in order to gain elevational control of the azimuth of the sonic transducer in relation to the water line and further provides a means for protecting the sonic transducer and apparatus from damage by impact with objects during use.

[ Aug. 14, 1973 ited States 1 McBride 248/4 285/3 X Nelson et 2'48/lAPPARATUS FOR MOUNTING'A 2,757,888 8/1956 Branstrator... TRANSDUCER oTHE TRANSOM OF A 3,362,290 1/1968 Carr et BOAT 2.646.950 7/1953 WilliamE. McBride, Tulsa, Okla.

Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Attorney-Head & Johnson [75] Inventor:

Assignee:

Lowrance Electronics Mfg. Corp., Tulsa, Okla.

ABSTRACT [22] Filed:

Sept. 10, 1971 pp 179,425 This invention relates to apparatus forelevational control of a sonic transducer from the transom of a vessel.The configuration comprises means for mountin 52 us. 248/291, 340/8 s 8a [51] Int. H04!- 1/44 some transducer upon a transom ofa vessel m orderto [58 Field of Search........................ 248/291, 293, 4, gainelevatiQnal the azimuth transducer in relation to the water line andfurther vides a means for protecting the sonic transducer pro- andapparatus from damage by impact with objects during use.

['56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures7/1970 Kursman et al.

SUMMARY Sonar equipment has found many commercial uses, for example,utilization of sonic echo ranging devices for the location of fish orfor indicating the depth of wa- .tcr. The sonar equipment employs anelectro-acoustic transducer or sonic transducer for transmitting soundenergy and for receiving echoes from objects in the field underinvestigation. It is desirable that the transducer be securely mountedupon the transom of the boat in order that it provide a secureinstallation and a rugged assembly, thereby yielding minimum backlash orplay regardless of the relatively high forces to which the transducerassembly is subjected as the boat moves through the water. U.S. Pat. No.2,837,727 is an example of one design of a transducer mountingarrangement.

The above referred to United States patent is representative of thestate of the art in mountings for underwater sound apparatus. Onedifficulty with the apparatus of the design embodiment in that patent,which is typical of the problems encountered with other known mounts, isthat the mount is rigidly affixed to the transom ofthe boat and isneither easily removable or adjustable so as to be capable of retainingthe sonic transducer in position when a new azimuth orientation isrequired, and does not provide a means for protecting the mountingapparatus and sonic transducer from impact withobjects in the water.

This invention provides an easily mounted and easily removable apparatusforazimuth orientation of a sonic transducer from the transom of avessel having a configuration such that the sonic transducer is providedwith means for preventing damage to the transducer or the mount if anobject in the water is struck. The apparatus provides for azimuthadjustments for a sonic transducer as the vessel on which it is mountedprogresses at various velocities to gain optimum transmitting andreceiving signals.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object'of this invention to provide animproved apparatus for mounting a sonic transducer to a boat.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ap- 1 DESCRIPTION OFTHE VIEWS FIG 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention as mounted on the transom of a boat for supporting andorienting a transducer.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the apparatus mounted onthe transom of a boat.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3" Of FIG. 1. I

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawingsand first to FIGS. 1and 2, the apparatus of this invention is indicated generally by thenumeral 10. The apparatus 10 serves to mount and orient a sonictransducer 12 to the transom I4of a boat 16. The apparatus includes amounting bracket l8configured to fit the upper end 14A of transom l4.Bracket 18 includes a rearwardly extending horizontal portion 18A havingan opening (not shown) therein. (See also FIG. 3). Fixed to thehorizontal portion 18A is an internally threaded nut 20 having athreaded opening; The threaded opening in nut 20 is in alignment withthe opening in the mounting bracket horizontal portion 18A.

A vertical adjusting rod 22, having external threads 22Aon a portionthereof, is threadedly received in nut 20. The adjusting rod is bent atthe upper end thereof to form a crank arm 24 bywhich the adjusting rod22 is manually rotated. Itcan be seen that turning crank arm 24causesthe adjusting rod 22 to be axially displaced relative to mountingbracket 18.

Mounting bracket 18 includes-a forward vertical portion l8Bhaving. athreaded opening (not shown) receiving an externally threaded attachingrod 26. The attaching rod 26 has a handle 28 at the outer end by whichit may be manually rotated. Pivotally mounted to the inner end ofattachingrod 26 is a contact plate 30 which engages the interior of aboat transom 14. The attaching rod 26, handle 28, and contact plate 30serves as a means of removably affixing mounting bracket 18 to the upperend of boat transom 14. It canbe seen that'many other ways may beutilized forremovably attaching a mounting bracket 18. In addition, ifit is not desired that the bracket be easily removable the horizontalportion 18A may be permanently fixed to the rearward surface of thetransom bracket 14, such as by means of screws.

Mounted on the exterior lower end of transom 14, below mounting bracket18, is a transducer bracket, generally indicated by the numeral 32.Bracket 32 is U-shaped, having an intermediate portion 32A, which isattached to the transom such as by means of screws 34; and opposedparallel horizontally extending portions 32B and 32C. Pivotally receivedbetween portions 32B and 32C isa U-shaped pivot bracket, generallyindicated by numeral 3'6, having a horizontal intermediate portion 36Aand opposed upwardly extending paralleled winged porti0ns'36B and 36C.The width between the wing portion 368 and 36C is substantially equal toand less than the interior width between the transducer bracket wingportions 32B and 32C. Each of the wing portions 32B, 32C, 368, and 36Chas an aligned opening therein (the openings not being shown) whichreceive bolts 38A and 38B. Nuts 40A and 408 respectively hold the boltsin position in a manner wherein bracket 36 is free to pivot relative tobracket 32 around the axis formed by bolts 38A and 388.

The transducer 16 includes an upwardly extending tubular shank portion40 which is externally threaded.

Positioned on the upper surface of pivot bracket intermediate portion36A, and extending generally horizontally and rearwardly, is a pivot arm42 (see FIG. 4). The pivot arm 42 and the intermediate portion 36A ofthe pivot bracket have an aligned opening therein (not shown) whichreceives transducer shank 40. Nuts 44A and 448 on shank 40 secure thetransducer 12 to pivot bracket 36 and simultaneously secures the pivotarm 42 to the pivot bracket so that the transducer is oriented in theazimuth direction by the pivotation of arm 42 about bolts 38A and 388.

Fixed to the outer end of pivot arm 42 is a connecting rod 46. The pivotarm 42 has an opening therein (not shown) receiving the threaded lowerend of the connecting rod 46. Nuts 48A and 488 secure the lower end ofthe connecting rod to the pivot arm 42.

Rotatably affixed to the lower end of adjusting rod 22 is a linkage rod50, best illustrated in FIG. 5. The lower end of adjusting rod 22includes enlarged diameter portion 52. The upper end of the linkage rod50 includes an enlarged diameter externally threaded portion 54. Aninternally threaded nut 56, having an opening 56A therein is received onthe adjusting rod 22 and encompasses the enlarged portion 52 andthreadably engages the linking rod threaded portion 54. Thus, adjustingrod 52 may be rotated relative to linking rod 50, but the axialdisplacement of the adjusting rod is transmitted to the linking rod 50.This is one example of many different arrangements which may be utilizedfor rotationally coupling adjusting rod 22 to linking rod 50.

The lower end of linking rod 50 is affixed to the upper end ofconnecting rod 46 in a manner so that the rods are rotationally andaxially interrelated but in a way in which they may be broken away fromeach other in the event transducer 12 is struck by an object in thewater. The lower end of linkage rod 50 has a slot 58 therein. The upperend of connecting rod 46 has an integral flat portion 60 slidablyreceived in slot 58. An aligned hole 62 extends through the lower end oflinkage rod 50 having a slot 58 therein, and the flat portion 60 ofconnecting rod 46. Positioned in opening 62 is a shear pin 64 so thatconnecting rod 50 is normally axially coupled to the connecting rod 46.As shown in FIG. 1, the upper end 60A of the connecting rod flat portion60 is slanted downwardly away from transom 14. In this way pivot arm 42and connecting rod 46 are free to pivot towards transom 14 when shearpin 64 is severed, such as by an object striking transducer 12.

Extending from transducer 12 through the tubular shank 40 is a conductor66 leading to a sonar instrument 68. The instrument 68 may be a meter,rotating disc, or any other type of device to indicate the presence ofand distance of objects in the water and the depth of the water in whichboat 16 is positioned.

OPERATION In the operation of a sonar apparatus sound is transmitted inpulses, and the echoes received and amplified. Receipt of an echo is theindication of the presence of an object which may be, such as a fish,located between the transducer and the bottom of the body of water inwhich the boat 16 is being utilized, or it may indicate the bottom ofthe body of water. The time lapse between the transmission of a'soundpulse and the echo is an indication of the distance between thetransducer and the object producing the echo.

In order to accurately indicate the depth of objects, it is importantthat the transducer be oriented in a way such that the sound pulsestravel in the proper direction. For instance, if boat 16 is standingstill, or very slowly moving, it is desired that the transducer 12 beoriented such that the transducer face 12A be horizontal to insure thatthe propagation of sound pulses will travel directly vertically and thatvertical reflectionsbe received. The angle of the transom on differentboats vary. Mounting bracket 10 provides a device to easily achieve theright orientation of a transducer 12 for different boats. By rotation ofhandle 24 adjusting rod 22, linkage rod 50, and connecting rod 46 areall axially displaced to pivot arm 42 and thereby transducer 12 forproper azimuth orientation.

When a sonar depth indicating apparatus is used for a rapidly movingboat, particularly in deeper water, the direct vertical propagation ofsound downwardly will frequently result in the boat being completely outof the beam of reflected sonic energy by the time the sonic wave travelsdownwardly and is reflected from the bottom. Therefore, in order toobtain an indication of the depth of water in a rapidly moving boat, thesonic energy must be beamed slightly forward in the direction of themovement of the boat. By the apparatus of this invention, the azimuthorientation transducer 12 may be adjusted to provide the best sonarreading for various speeds and water depths.

In addition, as boats vary in speed, the angle of the boat transomrelative to the vertical varies. By this invention the orientation ofthe transducer may be adjusted to correct for such variation.

If an object in the water, such as a submerged log or the like, strikesthe transducer 12 as boat 16 is moving, force is exerted on shear pin64, causing it to sever. This permits the transducer 12, pivot arm 42,and connecting rod 46 to all pivot forward. This raises the transducerto pass over the object struck without destroying the transducer or themounting bracket.

While the invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in thedetails of construction and the arrangement of components withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understoodthat the invention is not limited to the embodiment set forth herein forpurposes of exemplification, but is to be limited only by the scope ofthe attached claim or claims, including the full range' of equivalencyto which each element thereof is entitled.

What is claimed:

1. An apparatus for mounting and angularly positioning a transducer tothe transom of a boat comprising:

a pivot bracket having the transducer supported thereon;

a transducer bracket affixed to the lower portion of the boat transom,the pivot bracket being pivotally affixed to the transducer bracket;

a pivot arm extending from the pivot bracket;

a mounting bracket affixed to the upper portion of the boat transom;

a generally vertical threaded adjusting rod rotatably and threadablysupported to said mounting bracket; and

means coupling the lower end of said adjusting rod to said pivot armwhereby threadably axially positioning said adjusting rod pivots saidpivot arm and thereby said transducer.

2. An apparatus for mounting a transducer to the transom of a boataccording to claim 2 including:

wherein said means coupling the lower end of said adjusting rod to saidpivot arm includes shear pin

1. An apparatus for mounting and angularly positioning a transducer tothe transom of a boat comprising: a pivot bracket having the transducersupported thereon; a transducer bracket affixed to the lower portion ofthe boat transom, the pivot bracket being pivotally affixed to thetransducer bracket; a pivot arm extending from the pivot bracket; amounting bracket affixed to the upper portion of the boat transom; agenerally vertical threaded adjusting rod rotatably and threadablysupported to said mounting bracket; and means coupling the lower end ofsaid adjusting rod to said pivot arm whereby threadably axiallypositioning said adjusting rod pivots said pivot arm and thereby saidtransducer.
 2. An apparatus for mounting a transducer to the transom ofa boat according to claim 2 including: wherein said means coupling thelower end of said adjusting rod to said pivot arm includes shear pinmeans.